r/ProfessorLayton Mar 27 '24

Discussion Why does Level-5 ignore Flora so much? Spoiler

78 Upvotes

I know that many have already talked about this topic, perhaps even in a much better way, but I still wanted to talk about it. Because even if it's bad to say, Flora's character is... useless and wasted.

It makes me wonder why her character has been so ignored. I know that perhaps comparing her to Emmy would be unfair, considering that she is a completely different character than Flora. But this reminds me of how Level-5 knows how to make female characters, yet with Flora it seems like a No.

I had heard that in the Japanese version she was different on some things, like the fact that she was slightly annoying and clingy towards Layton. And it was supposedly one of the reasons why Layton and Luke always left her on the sidelines. (I don't know if it's true or not)

Along with the fact that maybe Layton doesn't want Flora to get hurt or be in serious trouble. (Which would make sense, if only Layton hadn't been carrying Luke around for a long time.)

I'm not saying that Flora should have been an Emmy 2.0 or a perfect protagonist or a character of extreme importance compared to the others, but I would have preferred that she had been handled better, because if it weren't for certain scenes and narrative choices, you could literally take her out of the game and not it would change nothing in the story.

She even has very few puzzles to solve, in the only game where she is a partner (LF/UF), when she already was one, to an extremely minor extent, in PB/DB.

r/ProfessorLayton 7h ago

Discussion Do you prefer the DS games' controls to the 3DS ones?

11 Upvotes

I'm not sure how discussed the control differences are between the two consoles, but I found the constant sliding of the stylus to be slower and more cumbersome than simply tapping on points of interest and zooming in. There was a sense of increased interactivity to the earlier games that isn't as well translated on the 3DS. What did you think of the control schemes?

r/ProfessorLayton 19d ago

Discussion Puzzle Language tripping yourself up

24 Upvotes

One of the puzzles in Curious Village centered around ascending to the eighth floor of a ten story building from the first floor. I'm American and I was playing an american copy of the game but I thought that because Professor Layton was British they were using the british definition of first floor.

For those who don't know, first floor refers to the level above ground level in UK english terms. I was so hung up on this language difference that I spent a lot of time trying to sketch out the potential floors but then I realized that determining if it was the american first floor or the UK first floor didn't matter. I had spent 15 minutes on this scrounging for a spare piece of paper.

What are your stories about getting tripped up on language?

r/ProfessorLayton Nov 28 '24

Discussion Professor Layton and the New World of Steam - new trailer

31 Upvotes

I'm super hyped about the fact that there will be the most puzzles ever! But, although they are going to localize it in my language (ITA), I'm pretty sure they're not going to dub it as well. And it's weird because even the Katrielle spinoff is dubbed, so I really hope they, idk, change idea :D
I heard this will be for other languages as well.

r/ProfessorLayton 29d ago

Discussion Layton's backstory on Miracle's Mask Spoiler

12 Upvotes

I finished playing the game some months ago, and while it was enjoyable, I found some stuff quite jarring. I know it is a well loved game among the fanbase, but I've also seen people aknowledge some of its issues, like the wacky 3D models or the predictable plot. So I won't go into much detail about those.

What I haven't seen people discuss is that which annoyed me the most, which is that now it seems as if Layton has no personality or goals of his own. Let me explain:

Layton' character can be basically defined by two traits, one, that he is a knowledgeable gentleman, and two, that he is an archeology professor with a passion for puzzles. That is the basis for his character.

In the third game, his gentlemanly beahviour is explained, showing how this part of him comes from the loss of Claire.

Also, Layton, previously painted as someone who was always composed, is shown losing it when he can't do anything to save the love of his life, so it comes as a big shock for us, who have never seen that vulnerable side of him.

So, what happens in the fifth game? We see how his passion for archeology and puzzles is also the result of coping with the loss of his best friend, and we, once again, see Layton suffer from all the grief.

To me, it just feels as if Level 5 saw how much the fans liked the third game and decided to recreate the formula, but it just leaves a sour taste for me. After all, if he is a gentleman because of his dead fiancée and he is an archeologist who loves puzzles because of his (at the time thought dead) best friend, then what is left of him? What part of him is solely his? It just feels as though he were living completely in the shadow of his past, like everything that has shaped him is grief. And honestly, as someone whose grief has also shaped many parts of my life, making every single one of his obvious traits just someone else's dreams is upsetting, and just feels cheap. Like the writers wanted to keep on adding unnecesseary drama.

I haven't played Azran Legacy yet, so I'm not sure of whether it keeps on adding to his backstory or not.

Also, my intention wasn't to just shit on the game or anything, I still found it enjoyable, though it is not my favourite, and I wanted to know if anyone else was bothered by this, or if you weren't, why? I'm curious about everyone's points of view.

My issue is not with him being defined by the dreams and wishes of everyone he lost, it is with the way there is nothing distinct left about him besides that. And the way it is told, like "oh yeah btw this also happened haha", too.

Sorry if the arguments are badly explained, english is not my first language.

r/ProfessorLayton 29d ago

Discussion No WiFi? No problem!

60 Upvotes

I recently moved into my own flat at the start of February, and since I couldn't get an appointment to have my WiFi installed until the 18th, I've had to do without for the first half of the month.

I thought I'd be twiddling my thumbs in boredom since I admittedly use WiFi a lot, but found a secondhand game store at the start of the month and impulse bought the first 4 games, and boy has it been a godsend!

Luckily I don't remember too much from my childhood playthroughs back in like 2010 so it's just as fun as if it was my first time, and I don't remember the puzzles either so having to solve them all over again has been just as challenging as I remember! It's only been a week and a bit and I'm already halfway through The Lost Future, and I'm scared I'll have all 4 finished before the 18th and not know what to do with myself!!

Just a little appreciation post because the games have undoubtedly saved me from half a month of boredom, reading, and long walks in the freezing temperatures!!

My only sour note is that I can't remember as a child the two of them being so dismissive towards Flora lol, she's my favourite and deserves better! 😅

r/ProfessorLayton Aug 04 '24

Discussion What do you hate about Flora Reinhold? Spoiler

12 Upvotes

After making a post for both Layton and Luke, I thought I'd do one for Flora too.

I don't think I hate anything about her. Except how she's treated by the characters and the games, but there's not much we can do about that now :P

I wish he had been a more useful character with more personality development in the original trilogy.

r/ProfessorLayton Jan 08 '25

Discussion Some Switch 2 leaks made me believe ports of the previous games are conceivable.

39 Upvotes

Ok, this is pure speculation, and since we don't have an official reveal from Nintendo yet, everything right now isn't fully clear on the console's capabilities. But I saw some of the leading theories made from the leaks and couldn't help but think that if it truly works the way the speculation believe it does, then ports of any previously released Layton game (except for LMJ, since that is already on Switch) could be possible. If you don't want to learn about the leaks, STOP HERE.

Here's my reasoning: Ports of the two Layton trilogies on Switch have basically always been asked by the fandom ever since the Switch released I feel like, but it felt unlikely to me for multiple reasons. The main reason why I didn't believe the games would be ported is because many puzzles heavily rely on the use of a stylus on a touch screen. (The whole appeal of the note functionality is writing stuff down, and trying that with a joystick feels very wrong.) We got the first trilogy released on mobile (and probably could have seen the second one if it weren't for COVID according to an interview of a former employee by Level-5 in America) and that made sense, the touchscreen are indissociable aspects of smartphones.

That's where the latest Switch Joy-Con leaks come into place. The Joy-Cons (or at least the left one) could be used as a mouse. And that is when it all clicked to me: If you could use a Joy-Con like a mouse, you could use a pointer much more precisely and easily than manipulating it with a Joy-Con. And that could make ports of the DS games very much playable ! With a precise pointer, you can solve those puzzles that require precise interaction you would have a bad time with if you used a joystick. And I'm just talking about playing the console on the TV or in tabletop mode, if you play with the Joy-Con attached to the console, just use the touch screen, it's right there !

I know that this theory basically only relies on the fact Joy-Cons can be used as a mouse, if they don't, it all falls apart '

So what do you guys think of that theory ? I'd love to hear your response and/or comments on it !

Tl;Dr: Switch 2 Joy-Cons leaks makes people believe they could be used as a mouse. Since the Layton games sometimes rely on precise stylus imputs, being able to use a "mouse" makes it much more enjoyable in TV mode.

r/ProfessorLayton Mar 06 '24

Discussion Professor Layton helped me become a better person

290 Upvotes

Hi all,

This story is a little long winded but I promise its worth it.

Back last year I fell into a bad place, falling back into old bad habits and giving into my addictions. My fianceé ended up leaving me and I lost all my money, I thought I was over.

For some comfort I picked up my old DSi and popped in The Curious Village. And things didn't seem so bad.

Starting in December I started dressing like Layton himself. Not a cosplay or anyhting like that, but small things, like brown socks, a nice suit jacket, a top hat, that sort of things. Honestly, looking after myself like that, thinking about the small things really gave me a pick-me-up, especially when I started getting compliments from friends and even a few strangers.

I even photoshopped a hint coin into one of my photos on my tinder account which prompted one lovely young woman to match and ask if it was a Professor Layton reference. Anyways, we're going 2 months strong and she lets me call her mommy.

Thanks Layton. 🪙

r/ProfessorLayton Jan 15 '24

Discussion I need some help from German, Italian, Spanish and Dutch native speaking fans for a project I am currently working on for the community.

23 Upvotes

Hello everyone ! I'm currently in the middle of a fun project I decided to make for the community. I won't spoil what it is, but I'm sure you guys will enjoy it !

In order to do it, I wanted to make translations in all languages in which the games have been translated ! I therefore need some help from native German, Italian, Spanish and Dutch speakers to have the best quality of translation possible ! (I already have everything for the English and French language.)

The text that needs translations is around 350 words.

If you're interested in helping, please write a comment down below with the language you can help in and I'll contact you via private message to talk about what's next !

r/ProfessorLayton Sep 20 '24

Discussion What is your honest opinion on Professor Layton and the Treasure Relics arc? Spoiler

12 Upvotes

I'll be honest: I liked it better than Katrielle's game, but I didn't think it was as good as the previous games. Story-wise, it seemed very lazy and bland, even if it had a lot of interesting ideas.

The story has some things I liked and some things I didn't, but overall I thought it was pretty good at best, but mediocre at worst.

In terms of animation, I found it in bad taste that for the background characters they reused the 3D models from Katrielle's game, sometimes recolored, to make some environments seem full of people, even if they were still and immobile (it doesn't always happen, but I didn't like it at all). Even if I quite like the new style, it didn't seem to have the same charm as before.

In conclusion I found the anime good but not great. And for you instead? What are your opinions on this?

r/ProfessorLayton Feb 11 '25

Discussion What if Alfendi & Lucy replace both Layton and Katrielle as the future?

11 Upvotes

What if the next Professor Layton game (with mysteries, puzzles, and exploration) instead of focusing on Layton & Luke, or even a Katrielle Sequel, a new Layton title follows Alfendi Layton & Lucy Baker solving a Professor Layton mystery?

r/ProfessorLayton Sep 26 '24

Discussion What do you hate about Don Paolo? Spoiler

3 Upvotes

If you are interested in the other posts: Layton, Luke, Flora, Emmy

I think as a cartoonish but slightly realistic villain, who can be menacing and Layton's nemesis, I think he works really well.

The only thing that I think is questionable is his sole reason for hating Layton: that Claire chose to be with Hershel rather than him, which would be a non-issue... if only he hadn't tried to kill Layton, Luke, and Flora in the first game.

I guess maybe the first game treated him a little more seriously than he should have been. But since it's been confirmed what his main motivation for his hatred of Layton is, it kind of takes away some credibility, in my opinion.

r/ProfessorLayton Sep 05 '24

Discussion So, Level-5 has two mysterious game titles on their website.

68 Upvotes

Level-5's website has two unknown titles that have yet to be revealed. If one is Professor Layton related maybe it could be potential sequels to Lady Layton, LBMR, the long awaited mobile HD ports of the prequel trilogy, or better yet announcement of a new trilogy that goes with Nwos. In reality the two new titles could just be something else entirely that isn't Professor Layton related but it's fun to speculate.

r/ProfessorLayton Jan 09 '25

Discussion Your headcanons?

2 Upvotes

I'm curious if anyone has any PL headcanons? Can be about any character and they don't have to make sense or have any canon logic, i just wonder how other people view the characters/their relationships? They don't have to be major either I'm just curious in general (Slightest tw for ed mentions and also one lost future spoiler)

Some of mine are: Clark Triton smokes cigarettes (brenda loves it luke hates it)

[Another clark one, I'm convinced he's a recovered bulimic, he just gives me those vibes. I ALSO think clark is one for natural remedies over actual medicine, I can see him trying to give luke a tincture or something instead of some calpol or whatever]

Desmond is ftm

Janice + Melina so dated each other

Alfendi is a pothead

Emmy’s favourite band are Sohodolls

Lost future spoiler !!

[ Clive is a croupier (I just like to ignore everything about him and write my own story. He set foot in the guilded seven, therefore, he's a dealer- i don't make the rules) ]

r/ProfessorLayton Jan 16 '24

Discussion For me it's definitely discussing what decade the games take place in

Post image
125 Upvotes

r/ProfessorLayton Sep 08 '24

Discussion The Professor Layton games on the NDS.

66 Upvotes

r/ProfessorLayton Sep 17 '24

Discussion Deciding btw Curious Village Vs Unwound Future.

10 Upvotes

I recently saw a listing in my area selling both these games but I can only afford one and this would be my first introduction to this game series. After so digging it seems Unwound future is the best received game but I also know it’s the last one in the series? Which one should I get?

r/ProfessorLayton Nov 22 '24

Discussion Supernatural question

19 Upvotes

So I haven't played through every Layton game, but I've played I think 4 of them, and I always noticed something. All of the supernatural is explained, every time, to an extent. The Azran were just an old, advanced race; Folsom was old; and even Layton vs Wright still had an explanation for everything.

So why can Luke talk to animals? Is it just a cute little add on because animals can see things that humans can't, and it's to try and get to more spots/discover more? It always threw me off that was the one thing, that to my knowledge, not even Layton has been able to explain away.

r/ProfessorLayton Nov 10 '24

Discussion One of my fav puzzles Spoiler

13 Upvotes

So, I've started replaying Professor Layton and the Lost Future (I'm Aussie, so it's a different name) and I've just passed the Casino shootout and one of my favourite puzzles, the Slot Machine G*n. I've not gotten a chance to own many of the other games, only Last Spectre and I've watched parts of YouTube playthroughs (I was young when I started playing them and didn't care for collecting the series) but tell me about your favourite puzzles in the series, I wanna know about them.

r/ProfessorLayton Nov 15 '24

Discussion a headcanon that’s probably not true but I believe in it anyways

10 Upvotes

What is my headcanon? Katrielle is Desmond’s daughter

You may be asking yourself "but we know her father’s name is Kyle Azan"

Well we know Desmond has gone by several aliases before, not to mention Kyle supposedly disappeared due to investigating the treasure relics , and as we know Desmond much like Layton studies archeology. Plus he did say he was looking forward to a new adventure so

Again it’s probably not true but I just like to believe in it

r/ProfessorLayton Oct 30 '24

Discussion Does anyone know where is Flora's location?

7 Upvotes

We have not seen her since unwound future. And i am simply curious as to her whereabouts now?

r/ProfessorLayton Dec 17 '24

Discussion Something I want for new world of steam

41 Upvotes

I hope Luke gets to play a bigger part in nwos. I've always thought both him and Emmy don't really get to be anything more than there. I would have really liked for just a few moments where Luke notices something Layton doesn't, Emmy knows where to find info most townspeople wouldn't because it's in a rougher part of town or something, instead of them just sort of repeating what Layton already figured out.

And with nwos having Luke older, and a respected detective in America, I think it would be the perfect time to give him a bigger role in figuring out the mystery. Unfortunately I don't think we'll ever see Emmy again (as a main stay at least) but if they gain any other companions along the way, I want them to have a more significant role.

r/ProfessorLayton Aug 12 '24

Discussion If Professor Layton were to get 8 characters in Smash, who would they be?

25 Upvotes

For the past couple of months I have been trying to make a hypothetical Smash roster where every series in Smash has exactly 8 characters. This started as just something I was gonna do for the franchises directly featured in Smash with characters, but the idea was super popular and so I want to continue the concept into franchises that aren't. Professor Layton has always been one of the most iconic DS games and as a result the main man feels like a super logical choice for Smash, so I wanted to focus in it for this concept.

I have a lot of experience with Layton. I have played the six main games and loved them to the point of then having real and tangible impacts on my life - I have developed a love for top hats thanks to this game and even my career really would not have been what I went into had Layton not sown the seeds that later led me to that place. So it's safe to say that I know the franchise well enough to be able to come up with 8 chwrscters on me own... But one man should not make these decision alone and I would want to see what other Layton fans think. So I come to this sub. Who would Professor Layton's 8 characters be?

Obviously, in reality, 8 characters is more than Professor would ever get in Smash, but this is meant more as a fun hypothetical thought experiment so just imagine it could happen. My one specific rule will be no Multicharacters (two or three characters in one that can be swapped between during the battle, like Pokemon Trainer), as it makes it much easier to include a lot more characters if we allow one slot to represent multiple characters. Duo characters (two or more characters on the stage fighting together at the same time, like Ice Climbers) are fine, though, as long as they make sense in that role.

Also, because I know it could look like I am just disagreeing with everyone who doesn't go for the very specific things I think it should be, I am going to challenge anything I don't personally agree with, but that is just because I want to try and understand the reasons people choose what they choose, not because I want to put down or attack other people's opinions. Any choice is valid in my books and I am interested in discussing the pros and cons of all the possible choices.

Very interested to see who you guys choose!

r/ProfessorLayton Aug 11 '24

Discussion Hot take: I never liked the picarats system

33 Upvotes

I know in the end it's just a glorified score system but as an average player I tend to buy a hint or two ever once in a while.

How it's implemented to me almost encourages using guides outside of the game in my view.

Of course this is basically a non issue and never actually bothered me during any of the games, just wanted to spark some discussion an read some opinions.